Champagne Fresne Ducret have the distinction of being one of a very few champagne houses whose vines are all situated in the one place, rather than being scattered far and wide throughout the Champagne region. The six hectares are mainly planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and all are rated Premier Cru in quality.

As such the champagnes of Fresne Ducret are true vins de terroir with a character and style that reflect the wonderful combination of Pinot grapes grown in the mosaic of clay, chalk and sand, together with extended lees-ageing in their deep, cool cellars.

The Fresne family have been making champagne in the pretty little village of Villedommange in the Montagne region just eight kilometres from Reims for seven generations. However, it wasn’t until after World War II that they began to produce and market their own brand of champagnes.

Pierre Fresne took over the operation from his father Michel in January 2007 after studying oenology in Épernay and doing vintages in Burgundy and New Zealand. He is a quiet and thoughtful person who loves to experiment. He has very much an open mind and ensures that technology and tradition are used in equal measure to craft his fine champagnes. Much of the remuage and dégorgement are still done by hand in the cellars – a truly artisanal and painstaking approach that has largely disappeared from the region.

It so happened that Pierre’s Burgundy winemaking experience in 2003 was at our very own Domaine Jacob in the Côte d’Or. We have worked with the Jacobs for many years now and Christine was full of praise when Pierre was first discussed. She thought he was a superb winemaker and so it was with this resounding endorsement that we were delighted to welcome Pierre and his Canadian-born wife, Daniella, into the 3D family. Daniella is an expert cook and will be only too happy to recommend some fine dishes to match their distinctive champagnes.

As a Récoltant Manipulant (RM), Champagne Fresne Ducret produce and sell champagne only from the grapes they grow – this is an important distinction in Champagne. They do not buy in grapes from other growers and so are able to control completely the quality of what goes into their bottles.